Tokyo Olympics: Belarus athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya seeks asylum in Poland, granted humanitarian visa

The sprinter refused to board a flight home to Belarus, fearing for her safety after she publicly criticised her coaches, and will instead travel to Poland

The brewing diplomatic incident has cast a spotlight on the former Soviet state that is run with a tight grip by President Alexander Lukashenko

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Belarusian athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya is seen at Haneda international airport in Tokyo after refusing to board a plane home. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:30pm, 2 Aug 2021Updated: 9:13pm, 2 Aug 2021

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A Belarusian athlete in Japan for the Olympic Games took refuge in the Polish embassy in Tokyo on Monday, a day after refusing to board a flight home with her team.

Sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya applied for a humanitarian visa and is planning to leave for Poland in the coming days, a Polish deputy foreign minister, Marcin Przydacz, said. She is “safe and in good condition” after walking into the embassy on Monday.

Another deputy foreign minister, Pawel Jablonski, confirmed that the visa had been issued.

Vadim Krivosheyev of the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation told Associated Press the group has bought her a plane ticket to Warsaw for August 4.

Tsimanouskaya, 24, had been due to compete in the women’s 200 metre heats on Monday but she said that on Sunday the Belarusian head coach had turned up at her room at the athletes village and told her she had to leave and board a Turkish Airlines flight.